In the past few months, the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street has been at the forefront of discussion on whether the city should lease beds in the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County to address overcrowding.
In August, the City Council voted to lease up to 700 beds in the 17-story ACDC building — located Downtown — to Fulton. Ten council members voted in favor of the lease and four voted against it.
The four-year lease, which has no option for renewal, would allow the county to house detainees at ACDC for $50 per day. Mayor Andre Dickens, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis say the lease is necessary to alleviate overcrowding at Fulton County Jail.
“It is evident that there is a humanitarian need when you walk through that facility,” Dickens said after announcing the agreement. “When confronted with hundreds of men sleeping on the floor, throughout the hallways, the humanitarian response to that is to do something.”
So the question remains: What does this mean for Atlanta, Fulton County, and your tax dollars?
In an effort to answer those questions, we’ve partnered with Atlanta Civic Circle, Canopy ATL, Axios Atlanta and the Center for Civic Innovation to host an in-depth conversation as a part of our larger #ATLBudget series.
Here’s what you need to know about our upcoming event:
What: “A Tale of Two Jails” is a conversation with local government officials and community leaders on the current situation, how we got here, and what the path forward should look like.
Featured panelists include:
- Robyn Hasan, Women On The Rise
- Patrick Labat, Fulton County Sheriff’s Office
- Tiffany Roberts, Southern Center For Human Rights
- Alton James, chief operating officer, Fulton County
- Judge Eric Dunaway, Superior Court of Fulton County
Where: Fulton County Central Library, 1 Margaret Mitchell Square, Atlanta
When: Sept. 27, 6-8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Register online here.
